The Pack (The Pack 1)

“You’re more trouble than you’re worth,” he retorted, one hand coming up to smooth the hair from my cheek.

“I feel really special now,” I whispered as his head tilted down.

“You should. You know how many women have tried to catch me?”

Laughter bubbled as he rested his cheek against mine.

“Hmmm, one?”

“What part of women didn’t you realize was plural?”

“Two then,” I corrected and felt his lips curl into a smile against my cheek. “Were you planning on kissing me sometime today?”

“Does it make me less manly to admit I’m afraid to?”

My head jerked in surprise, before I settled it back against his gently.

“No, not really,” I told him. “Maybe it makes you manlier,” I replied gallantly and swore I felt him roll his eyes.

His breath puffed against my cheek as he chuckled and then the barest brush of stubble against my skin.

“You’re dangerous.” His lips skimmed the bone above my eye. “Addictive.” Fingers trailed down my neck and I trembled as they found his mark unerringly. He stroked the skin, sending shivers down my spine as my head fell back involuntarily. “Mine.”

The word burned through me, charging the air between us as our eyes met. Something passed between us, an acknowledgement that whatever tied us together was more than simple chemistry.

A throat cleared, a familiar throat, and I froze.

“Dad,” I managed to stutter out, wondering how the hell I was supposed to explain my current position.

“Hang on, I think I got it,” Dominic said, his thumb rubbing briskly over his mark as I stared at him in disbelief. “Yup, all gone. Spiders are bad around here.”

“Do I know you, son?” Dad questioned his tone brusque, as he stared Dominic down like he wasn’t twice his size. Dominic jumped up, shaking his head as he held out his hand for Dad to shake.

“No, sir. You’ve met my father though,” he answered politely and I watched my father thaw slightly as he put it together.

“Hank’s son?”

“Yes, sir.”

“He’s a good man. Stopped by a few times to chat and lend a hand,” Dad replied as my eyebrows raised at this unexpected knowledge.

“Yes, Dad mentioned he’d come by. He’s impressed with what you’re doing here.” Dominic said, as I just sat in bemused silence watching their conversation and remembering the last time Dad had spoken to Dominic it was to call him a good doggie.

“What brings you out here?” Dad asked, clearly still a little suspicious.

“One of my college buddies rolled into town and is staying here. I came by to pick him up,” Dominic answered easily enough, and only someone familiar with him would recognize the subtle tension now running through him. It startled me to realize I recognized it.

“And how do you know my daughter?” Dad continued, persistent. Dominic shot me an apologetic glance before answering him smoothly.

“Jess is friends with one of my students. You probably know him. Caleb? He’s practically family,” Dominic informed my dad, who gave me a curious glance.

“He drive a Jeep?”

Only I noticed the momentary pause as Dominic hid his grimace.

“He does.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen him around,” Dad’s gaze flickered to me and back to Dominic, “Jess hasn’t bothered to introduce him though.”

“He’s a good kid,” Dominic told him and I rolled my eyes as they continued to talk as if I wasn’t there. “I’ve known him his whole life and coach him on the football team. I’ll tell him to stop by and introduce himself.”

“Well, since I’m not needed for this conversation, I’ll just take myself inside and get dinner started,” I stated sarcasm thick in my voice. Dad grinned, and Dominic had the nerve to chuckle as I sashayed myself inside and away from the testosterone-laden conversation.

Chapter Seventeen

“I can’t wait to see it,” one of the girls squealed and I winced at the sound. “I heard there’s several nude scenes.”

I didn’t need to look up to know Dominic had glanced over at Sara’s or was it Sasha’s? words. I kept my eyes glued to the table resolutely, not allowing my thoughts to wander to the last nude body I’d seen that wasn’t mine own. A chuckle reverberated through my mind, causing my head to come up, but Dominic was no longer looking my way and I chalked it up to my imagination

“Did you want to come?” Leah asked, glancing at me, her expression resigned as my smile quickly turned apologetic. She seemed to expect the shake of my head, but still nodded as she said, “Maybe next time.”

“One day I will,” I told her, a promise in my voice. “You might fall out of your seat when I do, but I will.”

She grinned, tucking her straight hair behind her ear.

“When your dad finally gives you a get out of jail card?”

“Exactly,” I agreed, laughing, but still uncomfortable with the web of lies surrounding my life. Leah always made it a point to invite me, but the nearest movie theater was in High Valley. It wasn’t like I could ask them to make the longer drive to the next town because I didn’t ‘like’ High Valley.